Illuminating device



June 17, 1941. w CARROLL 2,246,346

ILLUMINAT ING DEVICE Filed May 14, 1940 d TORNEY Patented June 17, 1941ILLUMINATING DEVICE Wells W. Carroll, Plandome, N. Y., assignor toColumbia Wax Products 00., Ozone Park, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication May 14, 1940, Serial No. 335,060

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in illuminating devices and hasparticular reference to a type of device generally known as a nightlight.

Devices of this character are known wherein a wick or taper is supportedfor partial immersion in a body of illuminating oil and in which saidwick is tightly fitted into an opening in a supporting plate which, inturn, freely rests upon a buoyant element adapted to float on thesurface of said body. In such devices, the edge of the opening in saidsupporting plate, through which the wick is extended, is the sole meansof maintaining the wick in a vertical position, and, due to slightvariations in the diameters of the wicks employed, difliculty issometimes experienced in tightly fitting the wick in said opening sothat it will be held in its perpendicular position relative to theplate.

The present invention is designed to overcome the above difliculty andto provide an improved device of simple and practical construction whichwill permit of the wick being easily and quickly mounted in an uprightposition in its support and withdrawn therefrom when it becomesnecessary to replace the same.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety ofmechanical expressions, one of which, for purposes of illustration, isshown in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspectiveview illustrating the operative position of the device wherein it isfloated on the surface of a body of illuminating oil contained within areceptacle;

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the device constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the device; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the blank from which the support of thepresent device is made.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the numeral l0indicates a receptacle, such as a glass tumbler or the like, into whichthere is first poured a quantity of water about to the level indicatedat H, after which a body of illuminating oil I2 is then poured into saidreceptacle.

The device of the present invention comprises a disk-like buoyant basel3 made of cork or any other suitable material and provided therein witha central opening I 4. This base is adapted to have mounted thereon awick-support generally indicated by the numeral l5 in which the wick ortaper I6 is adapted to be inserted for partial immersion in the body ofoil l2.

In its preferred form, the wick support I5 is made from a single blankof suitable material having some degree of resiliency, and said blank iscut and scored to provide a central plate ll having an aperture 18therein which may be slightly larger than the diameter of the wick Atintervals about the edge of the plate, the same has extending radiallytherefrom a plurality of spaced supporting wings l9 disposed in theplane of the plate and adapted, when the support is in operativeposition, to rest upon the upper surface of the buoyant base l3.

In order to removably secure the support to said base, each of saidwings has struck therefrom a prong 20 which is adapted to be imbedded inthe base l3. Between the wings IS, the plate has extending therefrom aplurality of supporting arms 2| and the material of the support I5 isscored as indicated at 22' so that said arms may be bent at an angle tothe plate ll. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, said arms 2| are bentdownwardly in convergent relation to each other and when so disposedthere will be a space between the adjacent arms which will permit thelower end of the wick l6 inserted in the support to be immersed in thebody of oil l2. The lower free extremity of each arm 2| terminates in areduced extension 22 and, when the arms are bent into their operativepositions, said extensions 22 will be disposed in sufiiciently closeproximity to each other to act as a support for the wick l6 and preventpassage thereof entirely through the support so that the wick will bemaintained in an upright position as shown in Figure 4. If desired, thewick l6 may be forced downwardly a slight distance between theextensions 22, the resiliency of the material of said support permittingthe arms 2| to spread slightly under pressure of the wick against theextensions 22, and the latter will then grip the wick to more securelyhold the same in position.

What is claimed is:

1. In an illuminating device of the night light type, means forsupporting a wick in substantially vertical position, said meanscomprising an annular float of buoyant material and a member forsupporting a wick thereon, said member being constituted by an integralsheet of slightly resilient material and comprising a flat portionhaving a central part adapted to overlie the opening of said annularfloat and radial extensions adapted to overlie portions of said annularfloat,

said extensions having prongs struck out therefrom, said prongs beingimbedded in said annular float and serving to secure said memberthereto, an aperture in said central part of a size to accommodate allvariations in the wick size intended to be used, and means for engagingthe lower end of the wick, said means comprising a plurality ofarmsrconverging downwardly through said opening in said central part andinwardly and having their lower end portions of reduced width anddisposed in such adjacency from each other that they will constituteclamping jaws for gripping the lower end of said wick, and said clampingjaws being positioned a relatively substantial distance below the lowerportion of said float.

2. In a night light, means for supporting a wick, said means comprisinga flat buoyant mem ber having an opening therein, means carried by saidbuoyant member to afford support to the wick at two spaced points, oneof said points being at the upper surface of the buoyant member, and theother of said points being positioned a substantial distance below thebuoyant member and below the surface of the liquid in which the buoyantmember floats.

3. In a night light, means for supporting a wick, said means comprisinga flat buoyant member having an opening therein, means carried by saidbuoyant member to afford support to the wick at two spaced points, oneof said points being at the upper surface of the buoyant member, and theother of said points being positioned a substantial distance below thebuoyant member and below the surface of the liquid in which the buoyantmember floats, said supporting means at said second point consisting ofresilient clamping jaws adapted to grip the lower end of said wick.

4. A blank for a wick support for a night light, said blank being in theform of a sheet of slightly resilient material having a central aperturefor the reception of a wick and a plurality of arms radiating therefrom,certain of said arms being provided with portions adapted to secure themto a float, and the remaining arms being provided with end portions ofsuch width that when said last-named arms are bent their end portionsmay be brought into adjacency close enough to enable them to grip a wickend therebetween.

WELLS W. CARROLL.

